Sports

Original Article published On the Jewish Times

Tamir Goodman, who started his illustrious basketball career at Talmudical Academy (TA) in Baltimore, returned to the city of his youth earlier this month to share his love of basketball and his dedication to bringing together people of different backgrounds. The Unity Clinic at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC provided an opportunity for local Black and Jewish basketball players, in addition to several sports world celebrities, to come together to learn and play basketball and to begin forming meaningful relationships.

“It was so magical to be back,” reports Goodman, 40, who spent his high school years in Baltimore before transferring to Takoma Academy Preparatory School (TA Prep), a Seventh-Day Adventist School in Takoma Park, Md., so he could remain Sabbath-observant and still play competitive basketball. “It was a slam dunk! They established positive relationships,” says Goodman, who was pleased with every aspect of the day.

“It was a great workout; leading coaches led their favorite drills; and they had doughnuts and drinks together at a meet and greet afterwards,” he describes. “At the end, they exchanged game schedules, and coaches and players will come out to games and support each other.”

Goodman does not take their forming relationships for granted: “They arrived not knowing each other and possibly never knowing each other, meeting each other. and they left as friends. That is how we better the world through basketball. I am just so thankful that it went so well.”

Participants in the clinic play at what Goodman describes as “two basketball powerhouses — Mervo and Baltimore City College (high school).” They joined players from Yeshivat Mekor Chaim, a local yeshivah coached by Goodman’s former coach and lifelong friend, Coach Haim Katz. “I met Coach Katz at age 7 or 8,” Goodman says affectionately. “I am 40 now. We talk one or two times every day!”

Katz reports that Goodman has “worked his whole adult life to bring peace to people. He does not see colors or religions, he just sees people — creations of God — and it bothers him. He thinks that each person is created in God’s image and is holy.”

He notes that “basketball is his life, and he sees the great things that can come out of it — it can be used as a metaphor and vehicle to bring peace, joy and understanding to people.”
Goodman playfully adds, “I was a Jewish kid who went to a Catholic school for high school and roomed with a Muslim player in college.”

Celebrities at the Unity Clinic included former Baltimore Ravens running-back Matthew Lawrence; former professional basketball player and NBA coach Corsley Edward; former Portland Trailblazers player Ronnie Murphy; and Joanne Pasternack, who formerly headed the philanthropy, and community relations and outreach functions at the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors.

The players in action, taking tips from the teachers. (Photo courtesy of Tamir Goodman: Israel Orange)

‘A storied place in my heart’
While in town, Goodman also addressed an Israel Bonds business networking event and the Weiner Family Basketball Tournament at the Beth Tfiloh Dagan Community School. The tournament has been bringing Jewish teens from around the United States, Canada and Israel together for basketball, Shabbat observance and comraderie since 1988.

Goodman’s illustrious and evolving basketball career started during his own high school career where he averaged 35 points per game in the 11th grade at TA and was ranked 25th best high school player in the country. He remained committed to Orthodox religious practice even as he pursued his basketball dreams. Playing at a Seventh-Day Adventist school, where Saturdays are observed as the day of rest, afforded an opportunity to play high-level basketball for the remainder of his high school career.

Goodman initially received a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Maryland, but he ultimately declined the offer given difficulties accommodating his Sabbath observance. He then accepted a scholarship from Baltimore’s Towson University in 2000. He averaged 6 points, 4 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game in his first year, and was awarded the coach’s award for his performance on the court and in the classroom. He continued at Towson for his sophomore year, ultimately leaving when the basketball program underwent significant changes.

His very public high school and college career were covered extensively by such publications and media outlets as Sports Illustrated, “60 Minutes,” ESPN, CNN, Fox, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld even performed a skit about “The Jewish Jordan.”

Goodman went on to play professional basketball in Israel. He signed a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2002 and played with several teams in Israel over the course of his career. In 2004, he served in the Israel Defense Forces, where he was awarded “Most Outstanding Soldier” and also suffered a knee injury. After a seven-year career playing basketball in Israel — and several other serious injuries — Goodman retired from professional basketball in 2009.

Goodman has continued to be actively involved in all aspects of the basketball world. He runs a summer overnight basketball camp in Jerusalem for players from around the world. His clinics also brings Arab and Jewish children together. “My culture diversity camps unite people and they form relationships through basketball,” he says.

Slam dunk; lesson learned. (Photo courtesy of Tamir Goodman: Israel Orange)

In 2013, Goodman shared his story in the book “The Jewish Jordan’s Triple Threat.” He is also an accomplished entrepreneur and business consultant. He founded Zone190, a training device being used in the NBA; as well as Sport Strings Tzitzit, compression-fit, moisture-wicking ritual fringes; and Aviv Net, a basketball net that dries and sanitizes basketballs as they pass through the basketball net. Goodman works in business development with the Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club and is working to develop a system for “on net advertising,” which he reports is “soon to premier in its first indoor pro game and will hopefully get to all leagues around the world.”

In addition, the tireless Goodman is working with Fabric, an Israeli sport tech and sports engagement firm that brings people together through an innovative technology platform. Fabric served as a sponsor for the Unity Clinic.

Goodman lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five kids, and brought one of his daughters with him on his recent Baltimore trip. “I’ve been in Israel for 20 years,” he says. “But Baltimore always has a storied place in my heart. It will always be extra-special to me.”

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Original Article published on the JNS

On Sunday, Nov. 6 in New York City, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter became the most famous Israeli athlete that few outside of Israel have ever heard of, thanks to her second-place finish in the women’s division at the famed New York City Marathon.  

Salpeter, 33, completed the 26-mile, 385-yard course in two hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds, only seven seconds behind the winner, first time marathoner Sharon Lokedi. Like Lokedi and men’s winner Evans Chebet (who crossed the finish line at 2:08:41), Salpeter was born in Kenya. However, her road to becoming an elite marathon runner representing Israel is unique. 

Salpeter was born and raised in a village in western Kenya without electricity or running water. In 2008, she came to Israel and lived and worked in Herzliya as a nanny for a Kenyan diplomat. She took up jogging in a local park as a post-work activity. Fellow runners began to notice her consistently fast pace, and Salpeter started to enter various road races.  

Three years after arriving in Israel, Salpeter met and became friends with Israeli Dan Salpeter, a physical education student, former competitive runner and coach. The two traveled to Kenya in 2013 and their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship. They married in 2014 and Lonah gave birth to a son, Roy, later that year. The family currently lives in Shoham in central Israel.

Salpeter’s speedy rise to the upper levels of championship running is in sharp contrast to the slow process of becoming an Israeli citizen. She is not Jewish, and despite being married to a Jewish Israeli, she is not entitled to automatic citizenship under the Law of Return. In such cases, the process of becoming a citizen can take a minimum of five years. Fortunately for Salpeter, her running accomplishments helped expedite the process. 

And the accomplishments keep coming. Salpeter came in first at the February 2016 Tel Aviv Marathon with a time of 2:40:16 and qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In order to compete for Israel in the Olympics, she needed to be an Israeli citizen, and became one just in time. Despite being in the top half of runners for 30 kilometers of the Olympic marathon, she dropped out at the 33 kilometer mark. She explained that she had been nursing her 20-month-old son at the time and experienced shoulder problems as a result of running with breasts full of milk.  

Salpeter continued racing and experiencing success at various distances. In 2017, she ran the London World Championship Marathon in 2:40 and in May 2018 won the European 10,000 meter Cup in London with a time of 31:33:03, a new Israeli record. In Nov. 2018, she won the Florence Marathon at 2:24:17. She holds the Israeli national records for the 1,500; 3,000; 5,000; and 10,000 meter runs, as well as for the half-marathon.  

From 2016 to 2022, Salpeter represented Israel throughout Europe and Asia and even in Qatar at numerous European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games, finishing 66th in the marathon at the 2021 Olympics in Japan at 2:48:31. In 2022, Salpeter has already won the bronze medal at the women’s marathon at the World Athletic Championships in Eugene, Oregon with an impressive time of 2:20:18, and won the bronze in the 10,000 meter run at the European Championships in Munich, Germany with a time of 30:46:37.

Minutes after crossing the finish line at Sunday’s New York City Marathon, Salpeter said, “I’m fine, I’m halfway happy!” 

She elaborated, “I knew I could win but I had a limitation, which I knew it before I came here with three weeks training, but in a marathon that is not enough.”  

Her husband Dan wrote on Facebook after the race, “It has been a challenging 15 months. … From dealing with ideal preparation for target competition in 2021 (Olympics), 2022 has been all about crisis management. Physical and mental.”

He acknowledged that Lonah has been dealing with sensitivity in one of the inner thigh muscles for several months.

Lona said that she had an injury over the summer and did not have enough time to train properly for the race.  

“For next year, I need to plan more, so this year was a little bit crazy,” she stated. “Even next year it will be crazy again because there are world championships (just before the marathon).”

Salpeter acknowledged that it is not easy leaving her family behind when she competes around the world. 

“My son is going to school and I don’t want to stop him from going to school,” she said. “He is in third grade, so it is also important for him to stay in his education.” 

She added that she is looking forward to being home with her family, saying, “Now it’s time to recover and be with my family and enjoy.”

Salpeter said that she is proud to represent her team and her country. “I came here for my team,” she stated. “They really wanted me here. I’m happy to represent my team. This team is really good for me.”

Salpeter proudly represents Israel wherever she races. When she received the bronze medal in Oregon in July, an Israeli flag was draped across her back. Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid has tweeted about how proud the State of Israel feels about her accomplishments.  

After the marathon on Sunday, Salpeter said, “I think I’ve made Israel proud. I always, whatever race I do, I always remember my nation. I need to run for them! Back in Israel, every race is my way to say thank you. Thank you to Israel!”

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Original Article Published In The JP

Argentine-Jewish tennis star Diego Schwartzman shared his thoughts with The Jerusalem Post after his maiden trip to Israel for a recent tournament.

Diego Schwartzman, the highest-ranked Jewish tennis player in the world, finally made it to Israel.

He liked it so much that he can’t wait to come back and explore more.

The Argentina-born Schwartzman, 30 years old and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, is the 17th-ranked men’s player in the world. He briefly visited Israel over the past few weeks while participating in the Tel Aviv Watergen Open, which took place from September 26 to October 2. While Schwartzman did not have an opportunity to travel outside of Tel Aviv, he extensively explored the city on foot. And he loved it.

“I was surprised by Tel Aviv in a good way. I didn’t expect it to be so amazing. It is for sure one of my top-three best cities in the world.”

Diego Schwartzman

“I was surprised by Tel Aviv in a good way. I didn’t expect it to be so amazing. It is for sure one of my top-three best cities in the world,” Schwartzman shared with The Jerusalem Post via Zoom from his car in Buenos Aires.

Schwartzman, the tournament’s No. 3 seed (behind Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic) had a bye in the first round before losing to Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 and quickly returned to Argentina. He was enjoying a rare visit home where he was spending time at the mall playing games with nieces and nephews and looking forward to spending Yom Kippur with family in Buenos Aires. He planned to join them for synagogue services and break-fast.

Diego Schwartzman plays a shot against Stefanos Tsitsipas in his Laver Cup Tennis match. (credit: PETER VAN DEN BERG-USA TODAY SPORTS/VIA REUTERS)

Schwartzman’s expectations of Israel vs. reality

Schwartzman was still feeling excited and enthusiastic about his first visit to Israel.

“From what you see on TV, you expect different things,” said Schwarzman. “I walked on different days for a long time to almost every part of the city. That’s why I can tell you it’s an amazing city. There were so many amazing things – young people, so many bars, good restaurants, coffee places, green spaces like squares, and beaches – the combination of city and new and modern and old traditions. I liked the freedom of the young people and the way people live there.”

Schwartzman expected to see “more religious people” in Tel Aviv. He definitely interacted with observant Jews in Tel Aviv, but noted “some follow a religious lifestyle, but in a modern way.”

Schwartzman’s parents, Ricardo and Silvana, also visited Israel for the first time.

“My family got to go to Jerusalem. They got to take a very nice walk.”

Competing in the event definitely limited Schwartzman’s chances to be a tourist.

“I arrived Monday, on Rosh Hashanah, and you could feel Rosh Hashanah in the air – not too much was open Monday, or Tuesday or Friday or Shabbat. I had to play on Thursday.”

He has already studied the map and internet and has identified places he’d like to visit on a future visit.

“I want to come back as a tourist and visit other places. I see everything is close, like the Dead Sea and Haifa. Right now there is peace and no conflict. It is a good time to come. I will be back for sure!”

While Schwartzman – who reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 8 in the world in October 2020 – experienced an earlier-than-expected departure during the Tel Aviv Watergen Open, he was very impressed with the tournament’s organization and atmosphere.

“They did amazing work – they built the place [at Expo Tel Aviv] four days before the tournament and it was well organized.”

Schwartzman has had the greatest success on clay and would have preferred playing outdoors, in a stadium.

“It is difficult to have tournaments indoors.” He is hopeful that future tournaments will have “a bigger court one, more practice courts and maybe a bigger stadium.”

Schwartzman was pleased with the crowds and their enthusiasm in general and for him.

“Novak was there and people wanted to go see him,” said Schwartzman. “It was great to see a full stadium. The crowd was good and the support for me was amazing. I felt like I was at home. People were fighting for me.

“I had a match point and almost came back. I was not playing my best. That’s why I want to come back!”

Schwartzman had several other meaningful experiences at the Tel Aviv Watergen Open. He enjoyed seeing Israeli tennis friends, including Israel’s Davis Cup team member Edan Leshem and retired player Amir Weintraub.

“He beat me in the third round of the qualifiers at the Australian Open,” Schwartzman jokingly said of Weintraub.

Indeed, Weintraub defeated Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4 at the 2013 Australian Open qualifiers in Melbourne. Weintraub entered the main draw and lost in the second round. The two also got to know each other at the 2014 Davis Cup, when Israel played Argentina in Sunrise, Florida.

Schwartzman was also excited to learn about tournament sponsor Watergen’s products.

“The owner of Watergen showed me everything and how they take water from the air. It is crazy how this high tech keeps improving every year.”

He also had an opportunity to try playing tennis in a wheelchair with one of Israel’s all-time great wheelchair tennis players, Noam Gershony.

“I was very bad. I can’t move. I don’t know how they do it! When you try, you realize how difficult it is for them – not just to play but to move and hit how they do. It was nice to share a moment with wheelchair players.”

Schwartzman enjoyed his first taste of Israel. And he can’t wait to come back. Israel will be equally happy to welcome Schwartzman and his family back for a longer visit, and for now, will continue to take pride in his accomplishments on the court across the globe.

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Original Article Published On The Jewish Times

Dean Kremer recently completed his best season ever with the Baltimore Orioles—and the Jewish star-wearing pitcher can tell you about it in Hebrew, if you ask him. The right-handed starter went 8-7 in his third season with the O’s. He pitched 119 innings in 22 games, had 87 strikeouts and a 3.23 ERA, and is thrilled to be in Baltimore. Kremer spoke with the “Baltimore Jewish Times” the day after his final start (a loss) on Oct. 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 26-year-old playfully reported that it was a “long season” and that it’s “hard to remember” details. While he acknowledged that there were “some fun and some frustrations,” he said the season was strong all around. At one point early on, Kremer was on the IL (injured list). Once revved up, he pitched an incredible 23 straight scoreless innings. His personal highlight of the season was a September game against the Houston Astros where he pitched a complete nine-inning game and gave up only four hits in the 6-0 victory. He faced several star players, including José Altuve and fellow Jewish player Alex Bregman, who went 0 for 4.

Kremer did not have to face the issue of pitching on Rosh Hashanah or in Toronto on Yom Kippur, the last game of the season when the Orioles faced the Blue Jays in a double-header, losing one and winning one to end the season with an 83-79 record, a 31-game improvement over 2021. (Jewish Major Leaguers are often asked whether or not they’d play on the High Holidays.) He noted that “it has never come up—I hope it stays that way.”

The Israeli-American pitcher said he has been enjoying his time in Baltimore: “The city is awesome, and I like the area [near the Inner Harbor] that I live in.”

He did note that “there’s not much time to explore. We spend half of the season away, and when we are home, we have long nights and early mornings.” He pointed out that the local Jewish community has reached out to him, though “I haven’t had any chances to meet them yet. I am looking forward to that in the future.”

Kremer grew up in California to two Israeli parents and traveled to Israel frequently until the demands of baseball got too great. “We went to Israel two times a year until I was in high school—for one or two months in the summer and over the winter.” He and his two brothers celebrated their bar mitzvahs in Tel Aviv, where his grandparents are involved. The Kremers speak Hebrew at home—“most of the time.”

Kremer has had a long history with Team Israel. Peter Kurz, general manager of Israel’s Olympic and National baseball teams, has known Kremer for many years and is proud of his accomplishments. “We are very excited to have Dean Kremer on board for the upcoming World Baseball Championship in March and hope he can be the tournament MVP like he was for Team Israel in his first European championship back in 2014 in Lubliana, Slovenia. He went 2-0 with a 0.00 era! And he was 18 years old at the time.”

Kremer looks back fondly on his past experiences with Team Israel with an uncanny memory for the details of his involvement. “My first experience with them was when I played for Team USA in the 2013 Maccabiah, then I played with them for three tournaments in 2014 and ’15 to help the team advance. Then I was drafted”—the first Israeli drafted to a Major League Baseball team—“and could not play until the World Baseball Qualifiers in 2016 and 2017. Each time, I wore the uniform, I had a blast!”

In March, Kremer will join such current Major Leaguers as Joc Pederson (San Francisco Giants), Harrison Bader (New York Yankees), Kevin Pillar (Los Angeles Dodgers) and fellow pitcher Miami Marlins reliever Richard Bleier. The team will be managed by former star second baseman Ian Kinsler, who played on Israel’s 2020 Olympic baseball team. Team Israel is in Pool D and will face off against Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and an additional team to be determined. All three teams are considered to be tough. Team Israel is currently ranked 20th in the world.

The official announcement of Kremer’s participation on Team Israel in the off-season was made in early October. He said when his Orioles teammates heard the news, they congratulated him—“they were super happy.” He also said they have always been aware of his close ties to Judaism and Israel.

For now, Kremer will enjoy a little R&R before joining Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in March. Looking back to last season and ahead to the next, he offered: “Overall, it was a good one, and I am looking forward to the future.”

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